Quiet Temptations
by Sleep Walking Chicken
Summary: (written by HAP) Naraku is finally dead, now Inuyasha can settle down and tell Kagome his feelings, right? Only problem is...how?(complete)
1. End of Pain

Author's notes~ Hey everyone! I'm back, after like months of you all thinking I'm dead. Anyways, this is another story written by me. Good times, ne? Anyways, this is the condensed and edited version of the real story. This story will contain a lemon but ONLY ON ADULTFANFICTION.NET. Ok? So, for those of you who want to read the story, but don't want to poison your minds, fear not! For there shall be no lemon in the ff.net version of the story. So sit back, read, enjoy and review and tell me what you think!

And one note: In no way, shape or form did I mean for the title of this story to be similar to Sleepy's one shot. In fact, they're nothing alike! Good times.  
  
  
**warning: May contain spoilers**  
  


Quiet Temptations

_Chapter One_

  
  
  
The sun dawned brightly, just as it seemed to do every day since the death of Naraku. It had been a long, hard battle but the evil hanyou had finally fallen and the once bleak future seemed bright and hopeful. It had been a week since the death and everyone's wounds were finally beginning to heal. Sango and Miroku were already planning their future together and Kagome was able to go back to her time more frequently as long as the Shikon no tama was around her neck. The completed jewel was purified and looked like any normal piece of jewelry from her time. Shippou had been the least affected, Naraku having no real direct pain in his life, but now that their traveling days were over, the little kitsune was able to make friends in the village. Inu yasha did the same thing he always did: sit in a tree or in other various places.  
  
  
As the sun rose completely a familiar yellow backpack was thrown out of the well and the black haired schoolgirl pulled her self out of the well with a heave. She stretched and soaked in the summer sun, the warm brisk air and the beautiful scenery that she loved about the past Japan.  
  
  
Kagome leaned down and picked up her yellow backpack, not as stuffed to the brim as it used to be, but was large enough to crush Shippou. She was about to sling it over her back when the familiar blur of red came zipping by and plucked the knapsack out of Kagome's hands and instead slung it over his shoulder. He nodded his hello, his golden eyes peering at her.  
  
  
"Hello, Inu yasha," Kagome said with a smile. "Thanks."  
  
  
"Feh," came Inu yasha's typical response. Kagome's smile widened and they began walking back to Kaede's hut.   
  
  
Now that the hunt for jewel shards was over, Sango and Miroku had begun building a hut in the village and Kaede's hut was no longer really an inn to the travelers but more of a meeting place. Shippou slept near Kaede's fire pit and Sango and Miroku often visited for herbs and to just check in on the old miko. She was growing old and a new village miko had yet to be found.  
  
  
Kagome felt the same cold, empty feeling growing in her heart. She had always humored the notion that perhaps after everything was said and done, that perhaps Inu yasha would open up to her, tell her what he felt, but he was silent as ever. His same quiet, distant self and it made her feel worthless. Of course, now that the jewel was complete, she was surprised that she hadn't been whisked back to her time as Inu yasha gobbled down the jewel.  
  
  
Now that she thought of it, the hanyou hadn't even asked for the jewel yet. She gave the hanyou an odd look and he noticed the gaze on him. He turned his head to look at her and raised one of his dark eyebrows. "What?"  
  
  
"…Nothing…" she said finally, feeling too unsure to truly ask him what she was thinking. He shrugged and continued down the path towards the village.  
  
  
"Feh, stupid wench," he muttered and entered the hut. He threw the backpack to the side and flopped down against the wall, his sword held gently in his arms, leaning against his shoulder. His ears twitched towards Kagome as she entered.  
  
  
"Kaede-bachan!" Kagome called happily as the old miko emerged from the back of her hut. The old woman smiled.  
  
  
"Ah, Kagome, hello," she greeted and watched as Kagome dug around through her backpack. "What are ye doing?"  
  
  
"I made you some food, since I know how much you love the future food," Kagome said and pulled out a small container of various foods.   
  
  
Inu yasha's ears perked up and his eyes glued to Kagome. Kagome giggled, "Yes, I have one for you too, Inu yasha."  
  
  
"Feh," he said once again, the only word he seemed capable of saying today.  
  
  
Kagome pulled out another container of food and handed it to Inu yasha, who quickly stuffed it down.  
  
  
"What do you think?" Kagome asked hesitantly.  
  
  
_It's always good…_ he thought to himself. But instead of voicing his thoughts he gave her a sideways look, "Ramen is better."  
  
  
Kagome sighed and sagged in disappointment, he often said that…that the ramen was better then the food she cooked. But he had said it far too many times for her to be really affected by it now. Instead, she forced a smile and turned to Kaede. "Where are Sango and Miroku?"  
  
  
"Out working on their home," Kaede said as she sat on her futon and began eating the food Kagome had brought her. "This is delicious, child, I thank ye."  
  
  
"Thank you, bachan," Kagome said with a smile. She then picked up her backpack and headed to the door. "I'm going to go see Sango and Miroku, ok?" Kaede nodded and Inu yasha scoffed. Taking that as a yes, she left.  
  
  
Kaede watched the young teenager walk away and gave the hanyou a one eyed glare. The hanyou crossed his arms behind his head and looked at the ceiling, his golden eyes peering at the wooden beams. After a moment he turned his head and met the gaze of the miko. "What do you want?"  
  
  
"Nothing, don't ye concern one's self," Kaede said as she stood, quiet slowly and painfully. "But yet this old hag wonders if ye truly care for the lady Kagome…or if ye are simply pushing away what ye already have."  
  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about, hag," Inu yasha snapped and left the intense gave of the old woman. "There's nothing between me and Kagome."  
  
  
"Exactly…"  
  
  
Inu yasha's eyes widened.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
It was a few days later, and Kagome was happily hanging up laundry on a small string attached to a tree and the back of Kaede's hut. Inu yasha sat in a tree as he watched the future girl due the work. The words that Kaede had spoken not to long ago still haunted his mind. The quest was over, the jewel was complete, Naraku was dead, Kikyo was dead (by Naraku's hand), and Sango and Miroku were settling down. Why wasn't he opening up to her?  
  
  
_Because she'll leave me…_ he told himself and his ears drooped at the thought. She would leave him eventually, she was from the future, and she couldn't stay here.  
  
  
Kagome hung up the last of the kimonos she'd been washing and turned to the tree the hanyou was in. "Inu yasha?"  
  
  
Upon hearing his name, the said hanyou jumped from his tree and landed in front of her, his ears still slightly drooped. Kagome gave him a warm smile and motioned towards the sun. "It's such a nice day, would you like to go for a walk with me?"  
  
  
"Walk?"  
  
  
"Yeah," Kagome said and smiled. Inu yasha thought for a moment before nodding.  
  
  
They began to walk in silence, enjoying the presence of the other and the feel of the warm sun beating down on their backs


	2. Thrill of the hunt

Author's notes: Sorry everyone for such a short chapter last chapter, I just needed to leave the house and wanted to post it that day. So, you got a mega short chapter, hopefully the next ones won't be as short. ^_^ And to my fanfiction.net readers, I'm sorry but I cannot post the lemon there since I've already had my stories deleted because of the lemons in those stories, I don't want to risk being totally deleted from the site, Sleepy-Chan will never forgive me if I do, since its her account! ^_^

And to my adultfanfiction.net readers, thanks so much; you guys are awesome as are the ff.net readers! Enjoy this chapter

**Warning: Contains spoilers (and for aff.net a lemon)**  
  
  
  
  
Chapter two  
Quiet Temptations  
  
  
  
  
The walked along the village, some villagers nodding their welcome and others ignoring them. The sun was shinning brightly and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Small children scurried down the road of the village, their parents shouting warnings after them as they went about their daily chores. Kagome couldn't feel more at peace. Now that Naraku was dead, now that he was no longer a threat, the world seemed so peaceful here; rarely did a youkai come for the village now that word had spread that a mere hanyou had beaten Naraku. She wasn't sure if they were waiting to strike as one big army or if they were truly afraid of the handsome hanyou who walked silently beside her.

She turned to Inu yasha with a smile but he wasn't looking at her. He seemed to be lost in a trance of some kind, his silver hair was blowing softly behind him as they walked against he breeze and his adorable puppy dog ears were twitched towards her direction. However, his golden eyes were looking at his feet, as if ashamed of something. As they neared the outskirts of the village, Kagome veered off the left to walk beside the river. She dragged the hesitant hanyou with her. "Its such a nice day, ne Inu yasha?"

"Aa," he agreed softly and blushed as Kagome grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the river.

As they approached the river and began walking beside it, she didn't release her hand, and he was happy to keep the contact between them. His hand closed tightly around her and squeezed it gently; he was delighted to see the small blush form on her cheeks. She was such a beautiful girl…

They came to the bridge that connected one side of the river to the other and they cross it to get to the forest. They traveled slowly down the long path between the rice fields, the rice patties swaying in the breeze. Kagome smiled and she closed her eyes, enjoying the caress of the breeze against her cheek. Inu yasha watched her out of the corner of his eye. The conversation he'd had with Kaede still haunted his mind and he felt ashamed of having to hide his feelings from her, but the insecurity was still there, why tell her if she was just going to leave him?

He sighed softly and Kagome opened her blue eyes to peer at him. They approached the incline of the hill and they made their way up, the light filtering through the tree leaves leaving small shadows on the forest floor. It highlighted Kagome's hair and her eyes seemed to sparkle as she looked at him and he found him self drowning in her beautiful ocean orbs. She smiled and squeezed his hand before releasing it. He missed the warmth. 

She gave him a grin before taking off running, "Come on, Inu yasha!" Her giggles penetrated the silence of the forest and Inu yasha smirked. So the wench thought she could out run him, huh?

He gave her a few moments head start before he took off after her, taking to the trees. He flashed from one tree to another, his whole body appearing to be a red blur as he quickly caught up to Kagome, her squeals and laughs of joy were louder now and her eyes were sparkling with mischief.

He'd never felt so carefree, like he no longer carried the world on his shoulders, he felt like he could just start laughing now, but…that would be going too far, as happy as he was to spend this time with Kagome, the thought of laughing in front of her seemed too uncomfortable, even after all this time he still felt reserved around her.

As they entered the clearing of the bone eater's well, the trees disappeared, though he could easily jump across the small field of tall grass, he decided that it would be more fun to chase after the school girl where she had the feeling of false panic. He smirked and jumped high into the air to come crashing down to the ground in front of a giggling Kagome. She shrieked in surprise before dodging him and continuing to run into the other side of the forest. Inu yasha smirked and gave chase once again, the feeling of adrenaline pumping in his veins as he watched the beautiful woman run from him, the wind whipping around her hair and skirt, giving him a nice view of her creamy legs and the back of her pale neck. He felt his heart beating faster, and not because of the way he was running…

Finally they entered another clearing, he hadn't known that there was another clearing in his forest, but then again he rarely went this deep into the forest. He was so transfixed on Kagome that he missed the root that protruded from the ground.

His bare food caught on it and he felt the painful bash of skin against wood as he lost his balance. Kagome had stopped to catch her breath and had turned to watch the hanyou approach. Their eyes had locked and she felt her heart race from something other then exhaustion. But the moment was shattered as Inu yasha lost his balance and fell towards her. With a small cry of surprise they began tumbling down a grassy hill. Inu yasha closed his eyes in pain as he rotated the two so she was on top of him and his back took the scrapping and the snags from random twigs and roots on the hill.

They skidded at the bottom of the hill for a few moments before they fell still. Kagome and Inu yasha lay there panting, their eyes alit with laughter and joy. The tension was shattered as Kagome began to laugh and Inu yasha allowed a small smile to escape him.

Kagome rolled off him and tried to dust the dirt off her uniform, however, it seemed to have caused small holes in her shirt and grass stains; the mud stains seemed to be so deep that they'd never come out. Kagome sighed in annoyance.

"Are you ok?" Inu yasha asked hesitantly, unsure as to how to react to Kagome's sigh. He felt ashamed of the fact that he, who had perfect balance, allowed himself to be conquered by a mere tree root. It was absurd. And the fact that he had taken Kagome down the fall of shame, he felt responsible.

"Yes, I'm fine," Kagome said with a warm smile as she turned to him. "I'm not hurt, Inu yasha."

"Good," he snorted and crossed his arms and legs, sitting in his classic position, though normally his ears wouldn't be drooped and his eyes wouldn't look so ashamed.

~*~*~*~

Ok, so that was one hell of a short chapter, so sue me…-.- *Sigh* I'll try and update frequently to make up for the shortness of chapters. Gomen nasi, minna *bows in apology*


	3. Glass Beads

Author's notes~ Well, I'm back and happy as ever. No pun intended, ^^; er yeah. Anyways, please read, enjoy and review!  
  


Quiet Temptations

**Chapter Three**

  
  
  
  
  
They stayed in the clearing, simply relishing each other's company. Inu yasha sat leaning against a tree as Kagome lay on the grass a short distance away, staring at the clouds. A subtle smile was on her lips as she saw different shapes in the puffy white clouds. Her arms were tucked behind her head and her legs were crossed at the ankles. The soft wind that blew made her shirt and skirt flutter in the wind, her blue eyes staring straight up. Her shiny black hair was fanned out around her. All and all, she was a pure vision of beauty from where Inu yasha was sitting. He rotated his shoulders so that the thick bark of the tree scratched his back through his thick haori and his long silver hair caught pieces of the dark bark, but he didn't seem to notice. The prayer beads around his neck clinked together as he turned his head to gaze at Kagome.   
  
  
Today seemed perfect…  
  
  
Kagome blinked and turned her attention away from the sky and looked at the hanyou, who currently was looking at her. Their eyes locked and they both turned away, blushing. After a moment of mild embarrassment, Kagome turned back to the hanyou and motioned for him to come sit by her. Hesitantly, he stood and made his way over to her. He sat Indian style and crossed his arms over his chest, seeming tense and uptight. Kagome smiled tenderly and gently grabbed his elbow, forcing him to lie down. His long legs stretched out, before stopping way past Kagome's toes. He noticed how long his legs were compared to her, how much taller he was. Over the past few months he'd been growing a little, but so had Kagome, though he was doing so at a faster rate.   
  
  
Kagome turned her body sideways and supported her head by placing it on her hand. She smiled at him and he returned it weakly. Kagome giggled and grabbed his hand, turning him so he was sitting in a position similar to her own and 'helped' him move the hand under his chin to support him.  
  
  
To anyone outside the field looking in, they would have looked like two lovers staring deeply into one another's eyes, which had been what Kagome was going for. She couldn't deny her feelings for the hanyou, but sometimes the boy was just so dense it was impossible not to get pissed off at him.  
  
  
"I'm glad you're here, Inu yasha," Kagome said suddenly, completely serious. Inu yasha looked at her in surprise and scratched his ear absently, not quiet sure what she meant by that statement. Right _here_ as in the field, or here in his time, or here…with her?  
  
  
"Whatever," was the answer he decided to give her. And she smiled; perfectly content with his answer, understanding that Inu yasha always had a hard time showing his affection.  
  
  
She turned away again and rested her back in the tall grass as she looked back to the sky. The long grass blades tickled her neck and legs and she giggled. Inu yasha leaned over her to look at her, blocking her view from the sky and their eyes locked. They…were so close…  
  
  
'Gods…I want…to kiss her,' he thought with some distress, true he wanted to, but he couldn't act on these feelings, not when he was still unsure of her feelings…and his own.  
  
  
Kagome looked at him, 'I…is…he going to kiss me? Lord, I wish he would…'  
  
  
All too quickly it ended and Inu yasha whipped his head away, his silver strands stroking against her cheeks before they fell against his back naturally. Kagome sat up, trying to mask the hurt in her eyes as she slowly crawled towards him, "Inu yasha…"  
  
  
"Leave me be, wench," he snapped and Kagome felt her heart clench. She bowed her head and looked away, her hand moving to rest over her hand, where it felt like it had been stabbed. Many times he had insulted her, but for some reason this time it hurt her…  
  
  
"But—"  
  
  
"Shut up," he growled out and Kagome felt her pain being replaced by anger. Inu yasha's nose twitched, the familiar smell of Kagome's anger filled his nostrils and he closed his eyes, mentally groaning, he was truly a moron sometimes…  
  
  
"Well _excuse_ me," Kagome said darkly and stood up, crossing her arms. She glared at him before staring to walk away.  
  
  
"Hey, where the hell do you think you're going?"  
  
  
"Home."  
  
  
Inu yasha felt and heard his growl increase in volume and marched towards the retreating girl. "No way in hell."  
  
  
Kagome gave him a glare, "Why do you care? I'll come back in three days."  
  
  
"You're not going any where," Inu yasha snapped.  
  
  
"Oh?" Kagome gave him a long hard glare. "SIT!"  
  
  
Inu yasha went plummeting to the ground and a small gasp escaped him before being covered by a large growl. "Of course, I should have known."  
  
  
"What are you yapping about now?"  
  
  
"When you lose, you resort to the only thing that will make you feel better," Inu yasha dusted off his haori and smirked at her. "Fucking treat me like a dog, with a damn leash! Whenever I don't say something you like, you make me pay for it."  
  
  
Kagome felt her fist clench and she started walking towards him. Inu yasha felt his ears slick back and his golden eyes stare at him. Was she going to slap him?  
  
  
But no…she did something he didn't expect. Kagome grabbed onto his rosary, his eyes only able to widen in shock, before she pulled as hard as she could. The string pulled taut before it snapped in half. The teeth dug into the back of his neck before the glass beads scattered all around him and the teeth fell dully at his feet. Inu yasha stared at Kagome in shock, only to discover tears in her eyes.  
  
  
"There, you're free! You don't have to hang around me anymore!" she cried and took off, leaving Inu yasha standing in surprise.  
  
  
He looked around the empty clearing and then at his feet. "…I'm free…but why do I feel so empty?"  
  
  
He watched the outline of Kagome's shadow disappear into the forest. When her scent disappeared as well, he limply bent down and collected the glass beads and youkai teeth. He held them in his hands tenderly before slipping them into the sleeve of his haori.   
  
  
Sadly he walked back to the village.


	4. Hands

Author's notes~ Sorry it took me so long to update, I had a small writer's block, and the evil plot bunnies are punching me with another idea. But I shall resist! ^_^; anyways, please enjoy this chapter  
  


Quiet Temptations

**Chapter four**

  
  
  
  
  
He felt so empty now…the connection he had with Kagome had been shattered. He stood limply, feeling as if he could be knocked over with a feather. His heart felt like it had shattered and his ears drooped. He tucked the beads and the small youkai teeth into the sleeve of his haori, unable to part with it.  
  
  
Though he found the 'sitting' tiresome, it always seemed to give him a connection with the schoolgirl. A bond that had unwillingly formed, but soon he failed to notice. He had grown so used to the rosary beads clinking against one another, the familiar weight accompanying him when Kagome returned to her time. The pain he felt inside his heart refused to depart as he looked at the thin string that had held him to Kagome so readily.  
  
  
His connection with Kagome was broken…his heart was broken…he was a broken man.  
  
  
In his mind he was only thinking one thing: _'I've lost our connection…she hates me…I'm alone again…'_  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
Kagome stomped angrily through the trees, making her way towards the well. The nerve of Inu yasha, all she did was care about him and they somehow always found a way to fight with one another. Why did she endure his tormenting and his arrogance? She sighed, she knew the answer but was far too angry to admit it, even to herself.  
  
  
After some time, she reached the clearing that held the well and walked up to the dark wood that would lead her back to her time. With a small smirk of satisfaction, she threw one leg over the rim and balanced herself on the ancient wood. Her heart jabbed against her ribcage, but why?  
  
  
She thought that perhaps Inu yasha was around, waiting for the final moment to prevent her from returning home, but there was nothing he could do now. Without the rosary he couldn't travel through the well. With a gasp of realization, Kagome felt her breath catch in her throat.  
  
  
She had removed the rosary…  
  
  
In her anger she had been unable to make out her scrambled thoughts, their fight seemed like a blur. With a small sniff she realized that she didn't even remember what they were fighting about. She had removed the rosary…the connection…the force that allowed her to stay with Inu yasha.  
  
  
With that shattering thought, Kagome felt tears come to her eyes and she angrily wiped them away. Why was she crying over him? She could go to her time in peace now…without the rosary, Inu yasha can't pass through…  
  
  
Kagome limply stood away from the well. She couldn't…  
  
  
With a feeble sigh, she retreated back to the village. She'd go visit Sango…to talk.  
  
  
Her feet fell silently on the grass that grew in the clearing. Everything around her seemed to fade and she looked depressingly at her feet. Somehow, this fight had cut her deep…she didn't know why…she just wanted to make up with Inu yasha…  
  
  
She sniffed as a stray tear fell down her soft, pale cheek and she once again whipped it away before it could make it halfway down her face.  
  
  
As she left the forest, the modest village came into view, just across the rice fields and the small river. With a fond smile, Kagome quickened her pace. As she approached the village, she saw Kaede digging around in her herb garden. "Hello, Kaede-bachan!" she greeted happily.  
  
  
The older woman looked up and smiled when she saw Kagome approaching her. Grabbing her bow, she used the weapon as a walking stick. As she slowly rose, she placed a hand on her back like many of the old ladies in Kagome's own time. The woman walked towards Kagome with a smile, "Good day, child."  
  
  
Kaede looked around and turned back to Kagome's quizzical glance, "And where is Inu yasha? Was he not with ye?"  
  
  
Kagome's expression darkly and she didn't meet the old woman's eyes, "He's off somewhere, bachan. I have to go see Sango-Chan and Miroku-Sama. Ja ne!"  
  
  
Kagome waved and set off without a backwards glance at the chuckling old woman. "Ah…love," she told herself with a roll of the eye and returned to her work in the herb garden.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
Inu yasha soon came to the village, having followed Kagome's scent to the well, much to his horror, and then take a U-turn towards Kaede's village. With a mighty bound, he was over the tree line and descending from the sky towards the rice patties. With a small gasp of surprise, he landed in the knee-deep water before taking off towards the village; he had no time to really worry about wet pants…  
  
  
His pride wouldn't allow it, but he needed to apologize to Kagome. He gulped, knowing that the girl would probably be too angry to really talk any sense into her. As he ran the small beads clinked together in his sleeve…he'd have to find a small pouch to hold them in, he couldn't bare to part with them. Though, he was slightly relieved that Kagome couldn't sit him anymore.  
  
  
As the neared the village he jumped out of the water and across the river. He came to a sudden halt in front of Kaede's hut and charged in, expecting Kagome to be in there. He found nothing.  
  
  
With a small grunt of annoyance he turned to leave, that is until he was hit on the head with a bow.  
  
  
"Ow," he said before he could stop himself and rubbed the bump that was forming on the back of his skull. He turned to person who dared strike him and scowled when he saw Kaede. "What the fuck was that for, hag?"  
  
  
"Show some respect, Inu yasha," Kaede said crossly and whacked him again before he could dodge.  
  
  
"FEH!" Inu yasha glared and dodged another swing from Kaede. "Do you know where Kagome is?"  
  
  
"Aye," Kaede said and outside towards her herb garden, Inu yasha followed her. "She went to visit Sango."  
  
  
"Great," he muttered. After Kagome was done talking to Sango, he'd have to dodge a large flying boomerang or risk losing his head to the infuriated demon slayer.   
  
  
"Wait, Inu yasha," Kaede said as she bent down into her garden. "Kagome is not in the best of moods, ye would be wise to leave her be," she said with a serious tone. Inu yasha growled, but he couldn't deny the fact Kagome would probably be angered.  
  
  
With a huff he went off in the opposite direction of Miroku and Sango's hut. He sighed again.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
"Ja ne, Sango-Chan. Ja ne, Miroku-Sama!" Kagome waved to her two friends as the sun began to set. After a few hours of ranting and raving, Kagome felt much better and was ready to search out the inu hanyou. However, she wasn't completely sure if he wanted her to find him…  
  
  
She groaned and raked her fingers through her long black hair. This was ridiculous; they'd had worse fights then this? Why was it so awkward? Maybe because of what he said…how true it was…no…it was just so intense, knowing that she no longer had the rosary…  
  
  
Kagome kicked a stray rock down the road and watched it bounce and hit before rolling to a stop. As she approached it, she kicked it again and it went sailing down a small decline and into the river. Kagome watched the riddles fade away with the current and stood looking at the small indent the stone had made in the long grass. Her face slowly turned into a smile and she felt her blue eyes surveying the world before her. Inu yasha and she were just like that rock…hard and rocky at first before it got smoother.   
  
  
Yes…  
  
  
Kagome chuckled, _'I'm making connections about Inu yasha because of a rock…something must be wrong with me.'_ But at this point she didn't care because she had caught site of the red clad hanyou.  
  
  
Taking a deep breath she marched towards the hanyou, who sat on a small hill. He leaned against a tree, his arms tucked behind his head and his golden eyes gazing solemnly at the sky. His nose twitched and she knew at once that he had detected her scent. Sure enough, his head tipped to the side and he peered at her, his golden eyes hesitant.  
  
  
Kagome smiled lightly and looked at he ground near him before looking back into his eyes, silently asking to sit near him. With his tiny nod, Kagome sat herself comfortably next to the silver haired hanyou.   
  
  
Kagome cleared her throat and found that the hanyou was still observing her. With a small blush she grabbed his hand in between her small, pale ones. She was entranced by the roughness of the tanned skin and squeezed it reassuringly when Inu yasha turned his head away in what she guessed a shameful gesture.  
  
  
His long fingers were rough and the knuckles were slightly swollen from the number of punches he'd thrown. His long claws were thick and seemed impossible to break. Turning it over, Kagome observed the palm, it too was rough, but not completely, the skin was lighter as well. And despite all of this, Kagome felt the gentleness and the softness of his hand.   
  
  
She shook her head quietly and gazed at the hanyou, a small smile on her face. "Inu yasha?"  
  
  
"…yes?" came his hesitant reply.  
  
  
Kagome smiled and scooted closer to him, her smile widening. She was glad he wasn't angry with her, and even though she knew that it wasn't completely her fault, she figured he'd never apologize. So, she took the step to mend the gap between them.  
  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
  
He smiled gently and nodded and Kagome knew that that was his way of apologizing as well.


	5. Fallen Balls

Author's notes: I'm sorry this took so long. I really have no excuse except that I'm a lazy ass. bows gomen. Oh, also, because of my lack of creativity, the fighting scene in this story shall be cut short…once again, I'm sorry, but I'm really bad at fighting scenes.

Quiet Temptations  
  
**Chapter five**  
  
It had been a few days since Inu yasha and Kagome's fight and apology. Things had been very easy for the two, Inu yasha spent his nights protecting Kagome and Kagome spent her nights sleeping. Kagome spent her days going on walks and helping Kaede with Miko work while Inu yasha watched her from afar, protecting her with his life.  
  
The bright noonday sun shown brightly in the clear blue sky and Kagome shadowed her eyes with her hand, searching the landscape for a flash of red. Sure enough, the familiar hanyou was seen lounging in the shadows of his favorite tree, the light filtering through the leaves and casting an eerie greenish light on the silver hair of the hanyou. Kagome smiled and walked towards him, her hands firmly clasped behind her back and her warm smile brightening the already warm day.  
  
Inu yasha opened his golden eyes as Kagome's sweet scent wafted around him and his ears twitched towards her. He felt his heart quicken as he laid eyes on her bright smile, her glowing eyes, and her happy demeanor.   
  
"What?" he asked, a little harsher than he meant, but Kagome remained unfazed, understanding the hanyou's tough guy exterior.  
  
"Its nothing, I just wanted to come and say hi," Kagome said with a shake of her head, causing her hair to flutter around her, framing her beautifully curved face, her bright blue eyes sparkling happy.  
  
Inu yasha scowled and hopped from the tree, landing in front of her. "Feh."  
  
Kagome giggled and her cheeks burned a slight pink as the hanyou suddenly appeared in front of her, towering above her and making her feel very small. Her heartbeat sped up a little and she smiled up at him. "Hello."  
  
"Hi…" Inu yasha said and allowed a small smirk to grace his face, his eyebrows relaxing. Kagome smiled then blushed, realizing how close she was to Inu yasha's face.  
  
Inu yasha blinked in surprise before a small blush appeared on his face.  
  
Kagome licked her lips and began to say, "Inu—"  
  
"Oi! Dog Turd!" called a voice behind Kagome, causing Inu yasha to jump away from said schoolgirl and growl. "What are you doing near my woman, mutt face?"  
  
Kagome gasped and spun around to look at the wolf prince, who stood cockily in front of her, his arms folded and one hip slightly above the other as he stood in a seductive posture. "Hey Kagome," he smirked.  
  
"Kouga-kun," Kagome blinked in surprise. She hadn't seen the wolf prince since the fight with Naraku, after she had taken away his shikon shards.  
  
"God damn it, you stupid wolf, what the fuck are you doing here?" Inu yasha snarled and his hand grabbed his Tetsusaiga threateningly.  
  
Kagome sent him a glare but he ignored her, his golden eyes challenging the azure blue eyes of Kouga.  
  
"Here to get my woman," Kouga said, a smirk on his face, sporting a small pointed fang. "I told you I'd come and get her after Naraku was dead. And he is, so its time for us to return to the pack, dearest Kagome." Kouga grinned, looking suave and very full of him self. Kagome paled and looked between the raging hanyou and the cool and collected Kouga.  
  
_'This isn't good,'_ Kagome thought dryly as Inu yasha drew her sword. Her eyes widened as the blade transformed,  
  
"Inu yasha don't!"  
  
"Feh, shut up Kagome, I've got to do this!" Inu yasha snapped back and glared at Kouga, and unreadable expression on his face. He gripped his father's fang and turned his heated gaze towards the wolf youkai, who stood upright with his arms crossed over his chest.  
  
Inu yasha growled softly and readied his sword. "Oi, you stupid wolf, I'll give you one last chance to get the fuck out of here and leave Kagome alone."  
  
"Not a chance mutt face." Kouga barked and crouched down, ready to attack.  
  
As usual, it was Inu yasha who charged first, his sword at a ready position, poised to slice the wolf youkai in half. The wolf prince dodged, though without the added boost of his shikon shards, he was much slower.  
  
"You fucking pansy, you're a lot slower than before," Inu yasha smirked and flung his sword towards the wolf.  
  
Kouga dodged, a small bead of sweat starting to form at his brow. "Fuck you, dog turd, I can still kick your ass without the shards."  
  
"Not likely!" Inu yasha barked.  
  
Kagome gripped her fists and with a small squeak shouted, "Osuwari!"  
  
Nothing happened. Kagome blinked and then cursed herself for removing the rosary from around the hanyou's neck. That truly was a stupid move, not only had she broken the connection between them, she couldn't control the hanyou any more.  
  
Kagome felt a small pang in her heart at that thought. _'Control him…?'_ she looked towards the hanyou as he fought with the youkai. _'I never wanted to…control him. But now that I think about it, that's exactly what I was doing. I was holding Inu yasha on a lease.'_ Thinking of it that way, Kagome couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself and she lowered her eyes.  
  
Meanwhile, Inu yasha felt a familiar pulse near his arm and a soft glow illuminated from his haori sleeve. With a side-glance, he noticed the glowing rosary beads. _'Heh, so the beads still work…'_ He grinned. Though the feeling of Kagome near him had been shattered along with the rosary thread, he was glad to know that he could fight the stupid wolf like he'd wished he could do for a long while.  
  
The dodging was starting to wear thin at the wolf's adrenaline, as he sloppily dodged the hanyou's quick as lightning attacks. The demi youkai had become more skilled over the past year, and it was evident now without the advantage of the shikon shards.  
  
"Why do you care if I take Kagome, dog turd? She'll be out of your hair," Kouga said silkily as he continued to dodge, throwing punches and kicks here and there. "You can have the fucking jewel all for yourself, and I'll take Kagome. It's a fair trade."  
  
"You won't touch her," Inu yasha glared.  
  
"So does that mean I get the jewel?" Kouga smirked.  
  
"**Hell no**," Inu yasha snapped angrily and blindly through a swing with his sword. It was easy for Kouga to dodge.  
  
"Well that's hardly fair. Why should you keep Kagome when you 'have no feelings for her' _and_ the jewel?" Kouga said, trying to make the hanyou crack and lose his concentration in the fight.  
  
He failed and only succeeded in making Inu yasha even more pissed off.  
  
Inu yasha charged the wolf demon yelling 'you fucking bastard' as his own mantra. He swung his sword around wildly, his golden eyes flashing a deep red before returning to the molten amber. "You will not touch Kagome. As long as I live, Kagome will NEVER leave with you."  
  
Kagome stared in shock at the hanyou's declaration and felt her heart begin to beat rapidly. He wasn't seriously, was he? Had he really meant what she thought he meant? Or something else?  
  
"Ho, so does the little hanyou have feelings for the Miko?" Kouga smirked, finding this enjoyable, excluding the fact he nearly got his head cut off by the hanyou's attempts to slaughter him. "What makes you think that a beautiful and powerful Miko would want to find companionship with a stupid hanyou? Hanyous shouldn't be able to live, they should all be killed and slaughtered when they take first breath."  
  
Inu yasha seemed unfazed by this comment, having heard it many times before in his lifetime. Though the part about Kagome stirred something deep within him and he chanced a glance at the schoolgirl.  
  
She was staring at Kouga in horror.  
  
"Kouga-Kun," Kagome heard herself whisper, "How can you even think of killing a child?" _'Hanyou or not, it's a child. They have no choice of who or what they'll be'_  
  
Kagome felt anger starting to creep into her heart, anger for what Kouga had said…  
  
And the fact that…  
  
This must have been what Inu yasha went through.  
  
"KAZE NO—"  
  
But still, besides Kouga's heartless comment, she couldn't allow him to die. "No, Inu yasha, DON'T!" She yelled and ran forward, throwing herself towards the hanyou.  
  
Inu yasha stopped mid swing, his haori sleeves fluttering in the wind he'd almost created. Kagome didn't notice the small object fall from behind the red fabric. Kouga stood in a petrified state of shock as his life flashed before his eyes. He'd been so close to dying…  
  
"Kagome, thank you," Kouga walked towards her, "Without you I would have surely—"  
  
"Kouga-Kun, I think its best that you leave," Kagome said coolly as she observed the wolf. She looked at Inu yasha, who looked like he was torn between an angry emotion or a crushed emotion. She had to comfort him. "I'm sorry, Kouga, please."  
  
Kouga looked like he was on the verge of protesting but then saw the look flash through her blue eyes. He sighed, turned and began to run away. "I'll be back, Kagome!"  
  
And then he was gone.  
  
Inu yasha and Kagome stood in silence for a long moment before Kagome took a deep inhale of breath. "Inu ya—"  
  
"You always fucking protect him," Inu yasha snapped, and his golden eyes turned towards her, flashing with an invisible fire.   
  
"Inu—"  
  
"Save it," He snapped, sheathed his sword, turned, and walked away.  
  
Kagome watched his figure retreat into the forest, having no way to stop him.  
  
Kagome took a step forward and felt her foot fall down on something round and hard. Blinking she knelt down and picked up the object. Her eyes widened in shock when she realized it was a bead from the rosary. Glancing around, she noticed a few had fallen on the ground and were reflecting the sun in the sky.  
  
_'But they fell in the forest, after I ripped them from Inu yasha,'_ Kagome protested silently.  
  
"Wait…Inu yasha…" she said in disbelief and held them in her cupped hands. "He kept them."  
  
She looked off towards where the hanyou had run off and stood, swallowing her discomfort and allowing her courage to overtake her. She had to ask the hanyou…she had to.


	6. Bleeding Heart

Author's notes—(rubs head from the abuse she had to endure from her reviewers) to those who asked: yes, Fallen Balls did have a double meaning! Congratulations to those who noticed that. ; We're nearing the end, two more chapters left counting this one. Next chapter is the lemon for the aff.net readers.  
  
And just because I got such awesome reviews, I'd like to point out some reviewers who really hit the nail on the head. I swear they read my mind! _Kanzen ne Tsuki, PJ, and Crispy Muffin!_ Don't think I don't appreciate my other reviewers, you guys are all awesome!  
  
Last time:  
  
_"Wait…Inu yasha…" she said in disbelief and held them in her cupped hands. "He kept them."  
  
She looked off towards where the hanyou had run off and stood, swallowing her discomfort and allowing her courage to overtake her. She had to ask the hanyou…she had to._

**Quiet Temptations  
Chapter six**

**.**

**.**

****

She always protected him. It didn't matter that he had kidnapped her, it didn't matter that he was using her, it didn't matter that he normally started the fights, it didn't matter that he totally disregarded his promises, Kagome always protected that stupid wolf.  
  
Inu yasha punched a tree as he passed and found that he enjoyed watching the tree come crashing to the ground and smirked, feeling some of his tension rise from his shoulders.  
  
Of course, he was still angry with Kagome.  
  
Didn't she understand?  
  
Didn't she realize that Kouga had kidnapped her because she could see jewel shards? That's the only reason he declared his affections for the schoolgirl. He loved her powers, not her. Not like hi—  
  
Didn't she realize it though? Inu yasha growled at the schoolgirl's ability to love everyone. It was something that made Kagome Kagome. She was so pure of heart, it was impossible for her to harbor any hateful feelings, as she had proved many times before leading up to the final battle with Naraku. She was so pure and kind, it was impossible for her to realize that perhaps someone was using her kindness…  
  
Kagome always ended up taking Kouga's side. Perhaps it was because she felt sorry for the wolf prince, or maybe she knew that he could take care of himself…but none-the-less, whenever Kagome ran to the wolf youkai or protected him, Inu yasha felt the small ping of hurt vibrating through his chest…beginning at his heart.  
  
And today was no exception. She had protected Kouga when he had challenged his claim on Kagome. It was something that youkai did occasionally. Youkai don't just go out and claim a mate just in a snap, it takes years and years of courtship and many different steps before the male can claim the female. Whenever another youkai came into the picture, it was the job of the courting male to stake his claim on the female.  
  
Truth be told, he'd been claiming the young girl since about a week after meeting her. Once the courtship is laid, its set in stone. Even if he wanted to he couldn't have withdrawn the claim unless another male wished to court her.  
  
In Kouga's case, that was his 'job'.  
  
The youkai had kidnapped Kagome, something that was practically forbidden in youkai society and had tried to stake a courtship on the woman, even though another male's was already in play. It was an important law in youkai society that no other youkai male may interfere with the courtship of a bitch. If the youkai so wished to go up against the male, he was allowed to challenge the male with the claim. If the claiming male loses, the winning male had the right to the youkai bitch.  
  
However, during their fight Kagome interfered with their battle. She continued to do this many times. Kouga had fallen to the ground and had growled out his defeat. Another youkai law was the loser was to be slain, something that youkai tradition held very important. Honor and integrity was not taken lightly in the youkai laws, and therefore Inu yasha, by law, was instructed to take the youkai prince out of his misery.   
  
However, Kagome's bleeding heart had screwed him again. She had protected the youkai prince and thus gave the prince the nonexistent hope. During the battle, the bitch was to remain idle and was prohibited to interfere with the battle. If the claimed woman did so, she was to protect the suitor she loved most. However, Kagome had been unaware of these laws and had protected Kouga.  
  
Thus, Kagome had unknowingly sent Kouga the wrong idea and made the wolf youkai believe that Kagome fancied him.  
  
And whenever Inu yasha tried to rightfully and officially stake his claim on Kagome by eliminating his rival, Kagome would prevent it…all because of her caring heart.  
  
In a way, he admired Kagome for her undying love. But in this case, he really despised her soft interior.   
  
Inu yasha growled as he punched another tree. It really wasn't Kagome's fault, how was she to know all this? It was something exchanged between Kouga and him self, something unspoken that only youkai knew of. For her to understand or much less know was absurd and he didn't harbor feelings against her ignorance. He did, however, despise the idea of Kagome even remotely liking the wimpy wolf.  
  
He didn't realize how far he walked until he was back in the filed where he and Kagome had first fought. He blinked and took a sniff, and found that Kagome and his scent still drifted in the still air of the field. Trees surrounded him and he sat down in the tall grass, staring up at the sky and sighing deeply.  
  
Though he hated to let the wolf go, he would always do as Kagome wished. And in the end if she went with Kouga, he'd be happy for her…glad that she could find love in someone. No matter how much it would hurt, he'd never hold Kagome back…  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Kagome stood in a shocked state before taking off after the hanyou. His speed set a great distance between them, however the fallen trees and destroyed underbrush helped make an easy path for her to follow. She swiped away stray branches and continued her trek towards where the hanyou had retreated.  
  
She hadn't realized…hadn't realized how deeply affected Inu yasha could be. Kouga's words still rang through her mind,_ "What makes you think that a beautiful and powerful Miko would want to find companionship with a stupid hanyou? Hanyous shouldn't be able to live, they should all be killed and slaughtered when they take first breath."_  
  
Even though Inu yasha hadn't shown it, he was deeply hurt and something was on her mind. Though she wasn't sure if it was the comment of killing hanyou infants, Kagome felt it was her right to comfort her crushed warrior. The look he had held when she had told him to spare Kouga's life. Even after what he'd said, she knew that there was something deeper there, something that he wasn't willing to tell her.   
  
Kouga's comment about the children angered her, however._ "Hanyous shouldn't be able to live, they should all be killed and slaughtered when they take first breath."_ How could he stand to say that? How could he not cringe at the idea of murdering small and innocent children who had so much to live for?  
  
She imagined Inu yasha…remembered what he said after they had gone to see Jinenji, his melancholy voice penetrated her thoughts._ "Not a demon. But not human either. No place to belong. So…I thought the only way was to carve out your own place, by force. That's how I survived. And by the time I knew what was happening, I was all alone…that was the only way…I ever knew…"_  
  
The way he had looked when he had said that, recalled nameless memories that he'd never shared with anyone. The look on his face as he spoke of having no place to belong. How many times had Inu yasha endured the anger and disgust of humans and demons alike? How many times had Inu yasha been cast aside a merely a half breed, unworthy of any human emotion or any demon respect?  
  
_"…slaughtered when they take first breath."_ Kouga's words rang through her head. How had Inu yasha survived, had his mother protected him? Hidden him away from the people who sought to murder and slaughter him?  
  
She felt tears prickling the inside of her eyes and she blinked rapidly, trying to force the overflow of emotion away, until she had regained control of the situation and spoken with Inu yasha.  
  
_"…slaughtered when they take first breath." _  
  
Kagome's eyes widened a fraction as her thoughts drifted back to the wolf prince who supposedly harbored affections and love in his overly cocky heart. But…he was a youkai and she was a human.  
  
Wouldn't that mean that their children, if they ever had any, which they wouldn't, would be hanyou?  
  
Kagome drew in a silent gasp. _"Hanyous shouldn't be able to live, they should all be killed and slaughtered when they take first breath." _  
  
Kouga…would he kill their children?  
  
Kagome couldn't stop a stray tear to escape her eye. Kouga would seriously consider killing their children. He would rip their small infant bodies away from her own breast in order to rid the world of an innocent half-breed. All because of its blood. All because it was a half demon. _"…slaughtered..." _That had been the term Kouga had used. He would take away her children and actually slaughter her children, and expect her to do nothing about it.  
  
"He'd kill my baby," Kagome said with a ping of realization rushing through her blood and making her whole body shiver.  
  
Kagome felt the trees beginning to lessen and she knew that she was approaching a field. She quickly tried to get rid of the feelings of pure sadness and regret for Inu yasha and Kouga as she cleared the trees and was met with tall grass. Just above the tall grass she could see a tint of red and silver and knew immediately it was the object of her affections.  
  
She walked towards him and decided that she must be downwind for the hanyou to not notice her. Or perhaps he was still steaming from before. It had taken her a good half of an hour to catch up to the hotheaded demon.  
  
She sat beside him and he sat up quickly from his position on his back, "Kagome!"  
  
She smiled shyly at him, "Hi."  
  
"How'd you find me?" he asked in shock.  
  
"The trail of destruction," Kagome joked and giggled.  
  
She giggled again when she saw that the hanyou's cheeks were turning a soft shade of pink. "At least the village will have firewood this winter," she joked and felt relieved when she saw Inu yasha crack a small smile.  
  
"Inu yasha I'm—"  
  
"Its ok…" he said before she could get her full apology out. His golden eyes stared at her for a long moment, as if contemplating something intense before returning his gaze to the sky, watching clouds drift by in the blue sky. "Its not your fault," she could tell he'd forced those words out and he turned away.  
  
Very quietly Kagome wrapped her arms around her hanyou, her hands clasping together in front of his collarbone and she squeezed very lightly, not wanting to choke him. She smiled when she felt his hands covering hers, the small trace of claws prickling her wrists as he tried to get a good grip on her. She rested her body against his and felt him let out a small sigh of relief.  
  
"I forgive you, too," Kagome said before he could force himself into an even more embarrassing situation. She knew how much he hated to apologize, and admitting he was wrong was always a big blow to his pride. So, she took it upon herself to forgive him before he could get the apology out. She felt him squeeze her hand in reply and she rested her head against his shoulder blade, staring off to the side, watching a gentle breeze ruffle some leaves in the trees around her.  
  
"Kagome…" he murmured and closed his eyes, bathing himself in the scent of Kagome.  
  
"I'm here…I'm not leaving," she whispered, answering his unspoken plea.  
  
They sat in silence, enjoying the company of one another… 


	7. Quiet Temptations

Author's notes: Alas, the last chapter. It's always sad to see a fiction come to an end. But all things must come to an end eventually. Well, I thank all who supported me in this fic! Enjoy the last chapter! Alas, the time has come for me to become stereotypical and unoriginal (I'll try not to be...sigh)  
  
Note to kippie girl (I think I spelled it right): Sorry about the misunderstanding, please don't take my reaction offensively; I just kind of get touchy when it looks like someone is accusing me a plagiarism.

**EDIT: Due to continuing request, I have decided to give you the link to where you can find the completely unedited version of this chapter. It will be at the bottom. Thank you.**

_  
  
.  
  
.  
  
Quiet Temptations...  
Chapter seven...  
  
.  
  
._

Kagome didn't know how long she sat with Inu yasha by her side. They were content with each other's company and the comfortable silence they had bathed themselves in. The sun was beginning to set and stars were dotting the sky on the Eastern horizon. The white clouds that she had gazed at all day turned darker and darker with the disappearance of the sun, turning into a dark shade of blue. The velvety blackness covered the sky as the last rays of orange and gold faded behind the mountains far off in the distance.  
  
Kagome sighed contently and rested her head against Inu yasha, who let out a small, relaxed sigh as well. Her hands gripped his shoulders gently as her breath tickled the tanned skin of his neck. His golden eyes surveyed her as she stared at the sky, amazed by the amount of stars that danced across the endless black.  
  
"Ne, Inu yasha?" Kagome asked, shattering the silence in the field.  
  
Inu yasha cocked his head to the side so he could see her, "What?"  
  
"Have you ever thought about what its like out there?" Kagome couldn't help but smile. Her classes had covered what lied beyond...far away in space. But she had a sudden urge to know what the people of the feudal era thought of the stars, the moon...what was beyond the Earth's surface.  
  
Inu yasha stared up in the sky, the moonlight and the light the stars produced reflected in his molten gold eyes and she found her self transfixed by the tranquility of the scene before her.  
  
Inu yasha sighed and looked away, at the grass, "Why would I think of something as stupid as that?" He turned his body away from her, his back facing her. Kagome sighed and frowned before crawling towards him, lightly touching his shoulder.  
  
"Inu yasha..."  
  
"Feh," he muttered as his eyes rested on the moon, the soft light making his eyes shine brightly again. A moment of silence passed between them before Inu yasha dared to speak, "For me...the realms beyond the sky means my weakness."  
  
Kagome bit her lip, not meaning to bring up those kinds of memories in Inu yasha, "You aren't weak." She hadn't even meant to say it, but now that she had, she was glad. Inu yasha's white dog-ear twitched as Kagome laid down in the grass, her body stretched out, a smile on her face. Her bright blue eyes stared at the sky. "To me, inu yasha, no matter what form...you're...so strong. You're the strongest person I've ever met," she turned her head and stared at his tense back. "To me...you're so powerful...and strong...and...I can't describe it...I feel safe when I'm with you, Inu yasha."  
  
"Kagome," he murmured quietly, his voice carrying on the soft breeze that drifted through the field. The grass hummed along with the wind, bowing to the two. The white haired man turned and quietly stared at her, his golden eyes shimmering with an emotion so powerful that it didn't need to be said. Kagome smiled gently and scooted towards him, to the point where their knees touched.  
  
"I'm safe," she said as she met his gaze...and meant it.  
  
"Feh!" he snorted and turned away, this situation he was in was making him nervous. "How can you feel safe around me? I can kill you with a swipe of my claws," he stared at the said appendages, and cracked his knuckles as he examined the hard nails.  
  
"Would you kill me, Inu yasha," Kagome asked calmly, cocking her head to the side and looking at him.  
  
Inu yasha crinkled his nose and bit his lip before snorting, "Of course not, you stupid woman."  
  
"Then I'm safe," she said and gripped his shoulders with her hands. He tensed under the contact, not used to being so touchy feely with Kagome before. But soon relaxed when he realized she was doing nothing but simply holding him.  
  
"You put too much trust in me," he said quietly.  
  
"I put as much faith in you as I want to," she reminded him and squeezed his shoulders. She missed the smile on his face and the warmth in his eyes when he heard this statement, his cheeks colored and he looked up towards the night sky. _'I don't know why, but when I see the stars...I see Kagome...'_  
  
---  
  
A few hours later found Inu yasha sitting quietly with Kagome in his lap, snoozing. He couldn't help but feel at peace knowing that Kagome trusted him enough to sleep with herself practically on top of him. He sighed and leaned back, his weight supported by his two hands planted firmly in the ground behind him. His head stared down at Kagome with an almost loving expression on his face. It was tempting...she was right there; within his reach...all he'd have to do is wake her up and take her...  
  
But he'd never do that to Kagome without her consent. He'd never rape her.  
  
Besides, who would want a hanyou? True, the girl seemed to accept his freakish appearance and his crossed heritage, but he seriously doubted that the caring and loving girl would want to be tainted by a filthy half-breed.  
  
Kagome mumbled in her sleep and twisted again, trying to get comfortable in the hanyou's lap. Her hands searched blindly for something to grasp and her legs curled closer to her, trying to keep warm. Inu yasha looked at her and slowly removed his fire rat haori, draping it over her shoulders. Kagome let out a small, content sigh before snuggling back down.  
  
Her hands gripped the heavy material, pulling it over her shoulders and tucking it under her body, the tips of her feet poking out of the red fabric. He smiled fondly down at her; the whole scenario adorable and he wished that Kagome had that 'Ka-mu-ra' thing she always talked about…  
  
Suddenly she shifted and her azure eyes opened, unfocused and staring around, trying to figure out where she was. She yawned and rubbed her eyes before the blue depths landed on him. He stared down at her curiously and she smiled sheepishly before sitting up, his haori balanced on her shoulders. "Hi…" she said meekly.  
  
"Feh," he replied.  
  
She smiled softly and stretched her arms above her head, his haori sliding down her back and pooling behind her in a messy pile of red fur. "How long have I been asleep?"  
  
Inu yasha, no familiar with Kagome's time's telling of time, looked up at the sky and pointed at the moon. "The moon was over there when you went to sleep," he studied the stars and the amount of light. "We're either in the hour of the ox or the hour of the tiger…" he trailed off and looked back at her, shrugging.  
  
"Oh…" Kagome thought for a moment, trying to remember all she knew about the zodiac's hours. She concluded it was after midnight and before six in the morning, according to what the hanyou had said and the amount of light. Vague, yes, but she had a faint idea of what time it was.  
  
She smiled gently and rubbed her eyes, "Sorry…"  
  
"For what?" he asked, genuinely confused. His eyebrows rose in question and his golden eyes stared at her, the bright irises illuminated in the light. Kagome found herself naturally drawn to the deep molten depths and she blushed profusely.  
  
The hanyou blinked at her strange reaction and was about to voice his opinion when she spoke,  
  
"For making you wait to wake me up," she said and smiled shyly.  
  
Inu yasha's brows knitted together. The wench was acting strange and he wondered what was on her mind. "Feh! I could have carried you back if I had wanted too," he realized what that statement suggested and it was his turn to blush.  
  
"Oh…" she said faintly and her eyes lowered to the ground.  
  
He snorted and crossed his arms. His eyes examined her odd reactions to their late night conversation and finally he asked, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"  
  
Kagome tensed and he realized that he'd spoken too sharply. He uncrossed his arms and lightly touched Kagome's arm, "Oi, what's wrong, wench?"  
  
She turned towards him and held out her hand. The hanyou cocked his head in a curious puppy like fashion and stared at her curled palm. Her fingers were covering whatever she was holding. She turned her hand so that her palm was down, hiding her curled fingers. She silently asked for him to hold his hand and he did so, holding his palm underneath Kagome's.   
  
She dropped something into his hand then. He stared at the small glass bead and felt his heart speed up. Where had she found this? Maybe she'd just found it in the tall grass? Had he missed one when he'd collected them up? He looked at her hesitantly and saw the look in her eyes…silently pleading for an explanation…no…he must have dropped one when he'd been fighting Kouga…  
  
He found his heart starting to raise and his breathing becoming harder and harder. What would she think of him?   
  
"Why?" it was a simple question, actually. He understood why she was so inquisitive towards the aspect of him holding onto the small glass beads and the youkai fangs.  
  
But to admit something so intimate that he'd kept to himself about the rosary was unsettling to Inu yasha…especially explaining it to Kagome…How was he supposed to tell her why he'd kept the rosary? Why he felt like if he kept them he'd keep their connection? How was he supposed to explain _that?_  
  
"Inu yasha…" she said softly when he made no move to answer her. It wasn't a warning tone she usually had; it was a silent pleading for an explanation. Who was he to deny her a reason?  
  
"I didn't want to let go," he mumbled to his lap, unable to meet her gaze, this was one of the single most embarrassing things he'd done with Kagome. He wasn't big on sharing feelings with her…and she knew it…so why was she so keen on finding out this?  
  
"…Let go?" she asked tentatively, unsure of what he meant.  
  
"Let go of our connection," he said flatly and slipped the bead into his long sleeve. The glass sphere clinked against its brothers and made a small thud as it bumped up against one of the youkai teeth, dulled by time.  
  
Kagome grabbed his hand and held the large, rough one in between her small and tender hands. She looked up at him, her blue eyes glowing with emotion. "Oh Inu yasha," she whispered and blinked, trying to get rid of the feeling of tears. "No matter what, we'll always be connected. The rosary wasn't what kept us together…I lo—you're my best friend, you're my protector, my companion…with or without the rosary, I'll always have a connection with you…." She smiled brightly up at him and Inu yasha found himself returning the smile and running his free hand along her jaw line, stopping under her chin and holding her there, gazing deeply down at her.  
  
"But why…would you want our connection?" Kagome asked, she knew the answer but wanted to hear it from his own lips.  
  
Inu yasha averted his gaze and blushed brightly, but his hand stayed under her chin and he didn't make a move to pull his other hand away from her warm embrace she'd surrounded his large, brawny hand in.  
  
"Like you said…I…you…we're…companions," his tongue stumbled over the right thing to say, trying to find a way to explain to her why he'd wanted the rosary. "When you leave for good…I…wanted to have something to remind me of you…" It pained him to admit such a thing…such a weakness…  
  
He heard Kagome take in a giant intake of breath and closed his eyes, berating himself for saying such a thing to her.  
  
"I…Inu yasha…" her breath came out softly and before he could react she had jumped on top of him, knocking him to the ground as she squeezed him tightly in a spontaneous hug, "Don't say stuff like that!" He felt the smell of salt fill the air and he felt a small amount of panic rise within him…she was resisting the urge to cry. "I'm so sorry!"  
  
"Sorry…?" he asked hesitantly and pushed her up so he could look her in the eyes. Her azure depths were brimmed with tears and she bashfully wiped them away with the back of her hand. He forced a warm smile and tried to comfort her in the best way he could. "What are you sorry for?"  
  
"For making you think I want to leave!" Kagome declared and crawled off of him, playing with the hem of her skirt. "I feel so horrible!"  
  
"Don't," he said firmly.  
  
"But—"  
  
_"Don't,"_ he said firmly and she nodded meekly, not meeting his gaze. "You shouldn't be sorry for my feelings or emotions, Kagome. You shouldn't be sorry about the way I think. Its just what who I am…" he trailed off.  
  
Kagome sighed and wrapped her arms tightly around him, holding him close to her. He hesitantly placed his hands on her back and hugged her as well, enjoying the contact they shared. "I'm not going to leave…" she said it so faintly that he nearly missed it. He tensed and she could tell. She continued to mumble into her chest. "I've been thinking about it…and…I might stay here. At this point there's no way I'll be able to get into a good college…and life would seem boring after what we've been through…and I couldn't bare to leave everyone behind…" she rambled on about her reasons for staying and Inu yasha only half heard her. The only thing he really heard and paid attention to was _'I'm not going to leave…'_  
  
"I'll miss my family, I guess, but its not like I'll live with them for the rest of my life. If I had lived a normal life I would have left home anyway…" she bit her lip, and Inu yasha still kind of stared blankly at her. "I don't want to leave…I want to stay…" '_With you,' _she mentally added.  
  
"Um…uh…oh…" he couldn't find the words to express his gratitude for his…friend…for this…woman…  
  
Her gaze captured his and for the first time he realized what the emotion was that was playing so frequently behind the misty eyed orbs: love.  
  
He had to be imagining it; his overly reacting mind was playing tricks on him and making him see things. He had to be imagining the look of love and admiration that shone so brightly in Kagome's eyes. He had to be.  
  
"You'd really stay?" he nearly squeaked out, trying to act like the look on her face was affecting him. Kagome's attentions were focused solely on his face and he felt uncomfortable under the gaze. She nodded. "Really?"  
  
"Really, Really," Kagome quoted an American movie she'd seen with her friends a while ago. She smiled delicately and noticed the fearfully look on his face. Was something wrong?  
  
"Inu yasha…?"  
  
"Kagome…" he countered, his voice sounding similar to mine, sans the questioning tone near the end of his name.  
  
"Don't you want me to stay?"  
  
"More than anything!" he blurts out before he can stop himself. He blushed brightly and turned his attention away from Kagome. Inu yasha felt like his face would explode from the heat that filled his cheeks and he wondered briefly if he should make a run for it before he admitted more than he should. But he had a feeling that Kagome already knew of his feelings…  
  
After all, he'd lost control when he'd been fighting Kouga. Claiming that he'd never touch her and that she was his…it was all absurd for him to say especially with her right there! Right THERE!  
  
"Do you really?"  
  
"Yes," he nodded, his golden eyes staring at her warmly.   
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because," _'I love you…' _he said quietly and a small blush graced his cheeks.  
  
Kagome frowned at his vague answer and sighed gently. Her eyes lifted to the sky and gazed at the stars' light.  
  
"Inu yasha…I'm glad I'm here with you," she said, and Inu-yasha felt as if he'd heard her say that before, but remained silent. "Don't ever leave me?" she left the question hanging in the air.  
  
"I wont ever leave you," he promised. And he'd hold that promise to him, never daring to break it, until the day he died. And then he'd find a way to still be with her after death.  
  
"Inu yasha…" she whispered out again. What was with her fascination with his name? He blinked at her when she rubbed her eyes. "I'm so happy!"  
  
"Why…?!" he asked in surprise.  
  
"I was afraid that you'd reject me…" she whispered happily and suddenly leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Thank you so much!"  
  
His cheek burned from where she kissed him and looked at her in shock, and saw that look again. The swirling emotion he could only describe as love. That's what it was…he couldn't deny it any more…he was looking at the love in Kagome's blue orbs.   
  
Then he felt it. Like he was being magnetically attracted to Kagome and he was powerless to stop the feeling of his head drawing closer and closer to her. His ears flew back against his skull and his head tilted ever so slightly. His lips parted and he inhaled a deep breath, unsure of what he was doing, but wanting it all the same. His golden eyes drifted shut as he watched Kagome's reaction that was similar to his own.  
  
Their lips connected and it seemed like it sparked them to life because at the moment their lips touched, they couldn't release each other. Their arms wrapped around each other and Inu yasha fell forward, taking the schoolgirl with him. They lay on the field, like they had done a few days prior, only this time it was much more intimate.  
  
He felt every ounce of emotion he'd ever possessed pour into that kiss, he cherished and relished in the feel of Kagome's lips on his. Kikyou had only kissed him once in his life. But he hadn't returned the kiss, and it had been cold and lifeless, not like this. Kagome was so alive, so filled with compassion and love. She could love anyone she wanted to, her heart was so warm and caring…  
  
He wondered, not for the first time, what he had done to deserve such a wonderful and beautiful woman that was lying beneath him, happily taking his kisses and returning them with his own. He felt like the world was crashing around him and all there was was Kagome…beautiful, innocent, sweet, lovely Kagome. The woman that he had come to love during their escapades across the Feudal Japan.  
  
The temptation to love her was almost overwhelming and he felt Kagome squirm beneath him. It took him a moment to realize she was trying to pull away, no doubt for air. He hesitantly withdrew his lips from her own and he looked down at her as she licked her lips and her chest heaved, greedily taking in air.  
  
Her lips were red and swollen, and her eyes glowed brightly, her cheeks just as red as her lips. He felt something deep within him stir. Something he'd never felt before…not like this. True, he'd often left to the tranquility of the forest to relieve himself, but this was about ten times as powerful as during those times. Perhaps it was the knowledge that Kagome had happily taken his kiss?  
  
She smiled, "Inu…"  
  
He blinked at the nickname, but found himself blushing and enjoying the pet name…"Kagome…"  
  
"That was…"  
  
"Did I do badly?" he asked, worried that he had displeased her.  
  
"No…it was wonderful," she said breathlessly and sat up, looking at him quizzically. He felt naked under her intense gaze…  
  
"Ok…" he said hesitantly.  
  
She smiled and blushed softly; this whole experience was new for her. After all, she was a virgin…and that had been her first kiss…  
  
"Can…I do it again?" she looked at the hanyou and smiled quietly and nodded. His expression was so adorable, slightly apprehensive yet craving to kiss her again. She puckered up her lips and happily greeted the hanyou's lips to her own, her hands traveling up to his head, fisting her hands in his long silver hair, the tips of her pinky fingers brushing against the base of his puppy dog ears.  
  
The hanyou's eyes closed blissfully and he sighed in pleasure when her fingers traced the base of his furry ears and strung their way through his silky white hair. His lips devoured her, as if afraid that if he stopped she would disappear and he'd wake up and realize this was all a dream. His hands moved gently and cupped her cheeks, holding her to him and stroking the delicate skin that his coarse fingers met. She made a small noise of satisfaction and that alone gave him the courage to continue holding her so passionately.  
  
She was slightly awkward, tilting her head to try and get a good position, and he was sure that he was doing so as well. Their lips slid from each others many times as they tried to find a way to successfully deepen their kiss and the whole experience was slightly gauche, yet so passionate. But this was to be expected, due to their inexperience in kissing one another.  
  
Kagome's fingers continued massaging his scalp, releasing the silky strands of any snarls or tangles she encountered. His ears twitched and small appreciative growl formed in his throat as he continued to kiss her happily. His hands slid across her cheeks, the rough skin a startling contrast to her soft skin as he moved his hands to the back of her head and held her to him fervently.   
  
Every literary piece Kagome had ever read about romance was flashing through her jumbled mind. She tried to calm her screaming nerves, her racing heart, and the overwhelming feel of extreme happiness she felt the moment she felt the inu hanyou before her kissing her back. How could such a simple gesture show such love? How could she show her hanyou how much she cared for him? Adored him? Surely this simple kiss was not enough to show the magnitude of her feelings?  
  
Shyly, so as not to alarm the hanyou, her mouth opened gently and she slipped her tongue out, lightly tapping his bottom lip and tracing the soft lips. The reaction she received was not what she expected. The hanyou yelped in surprise and pulled away, staring at her with wide golden eyes. Blinking he tilted his head to the side, his face was bright red from either lack of air or the reaction he was developing from the recent turn of events.  
  
"W-what was that, Kagome?" he asked in bewilderment, his ears perked and twitching and his golden eyes widened. She noticed, however, that he had yet to release her from his death grip hold.  
  
"I…did…you not like it?" she asked sheepishly, unsure if she had insulted the hanyou in some way.  
  
"No! It's not that!" he said quickly and blinked, his cheeks still a bright red. His face dawned with realization, "Was that your tongue?!"  
  
Kagome's face ignited into a deeper red and she bowed her head, staring at their laps. She nodded meekly.   
  
The hanyou blinked and leaned forward, Kagome's scent reeked of embarrassment and he had to reassure her, after all. "I've…just never done this before," he admitted sheepishly.  
  
Kagome peered up at him through her bangs when realization hit her. Of course, not only was the hanyou lacking experience in the kissing category, French kissing wasn't really something accustomed in this time. She giggled and picked her head up so she could look at him. "I haven't either, Inu yasha, so let's learn together," she assured him. "In my time, people will kiss with their tongues if they really like someone…" not necessarily true, but she didn't feel it essential to explain casual sex to the hanyou.  
  
Inu yasha blinked curiously and it took all in Kagome's power to not melt at his completely innocent look. Who would have thought that the rough and rude hanyou warrior was afraid to kiss a girl properly? Her hands slipped down to his shoulders and she gently pushed down so they were once again at eye level. She smiled reassuringly to the slightly shaking hanyou, even though she was nervous herself. She didn't understand why, this was Inu yasha, she'd often dreamed of this moment, having him hold her and her hold him, as they kissed romantically and confessed their deepest secrets. Now, she was nervous and shaking slightly.  
  
Inu yasha's hands traveled down her back and he gripped his haori, which lay forgotten until now, and draped it over her shoulders tenderly. He pulled Kagome's hair from beneath the fabric and allowed the black locks to fall freely down her back. Her blue eyes stared up at him, shinning with emotion, and she was met with an identical look. They didn't have to say it to know, to know what the other was thinking, what was reflected in those eyes.  
  
With almost a year of knowing Kagome, Inu yasha had learned how to open up to people, more specifically Kagome. He no longer found the urge to hide his emotions from her, for it was obvious she reciprocated the feelings. It was his biggest dream come true. He was alone in a field with the girl he loved…and he was kissing her.  
  
Their lips met again, this time prepared for the deepening of their already passionate kiss. Kagome's lips parted and Inu yasha sucked gently on her bottom lip, his tongue tracing over the swollen lip. Kagome's eyes closed and she moaned softly, her hands gripping his shoulders. He tilted his head and allowed Kagome's tongue to shyly enter his mouth. Still unsure about how to kiss like this, he allowed Kagome to dominate him…just this once…Her tongue traced across his teeth, spending extra time over her sharp canines, then her soft tongue touched the insides of his mouth softly, almost as unsure as he. He moaned softly and another growl of satisfaction rose from his throat, vibrating through his mouth and into Kagome's mouth.  
  
Finally, Kagome's tongue timidly touched his own, dormant tongue. Inu yasha couldn't help it; he opened his eyes and peered at her curiously. The girl's eyes were closed in bliss and her cheeks flushed a beet red, but she looked so…happy wasn't the word. He couldn't describe what he saw there, and he wasn't going to try. He was kissing Kagome, and she was showing him a kiss 'with their tongues when people really like each other.' Kagome really liked him…he even dared to say she loved him, and for that he was grateful that she was here with him.  
  
Kagome continued stroking his tongue with her own and he wondered if she wanted him to respond? He wasn't sure, but it seemed like the right thing to do. Closing his eyes again and tightening his grip on Kagome, he moved his tongue so that it touched hers. He felt Kagome smile against his lips and knew that he had thought correctly. Together they continued to assault one another with their tongues, fighting each other with the muscle.  
  
Finally his dominating nature began to overpower him and he pushed Kagome's tongue back into her mouth followed quickly by his own.  
  
After some time, Kagome began to squirm and he knew that she needed air. Pulling away, he opened his golden eyes and gazed into her oceanic ones. Her gaze never left his as she smiled widely and tucked some hair behind her ear, her lips were red and swollen, her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes glowed with pure happiness.  
  
Kagome found her voice after a long moment of panting. "Wow…" she murmured and hesitantly reached out her hands gripping him. He didn't push her away and he saw the relief flood into her eyes.   
  
"Wow…" he agreed and they sat in a comfortable silence for a long moment.  
  
"Inu yasha…I…" her blush deepened, if possible. Whatever was on her mind, she was scared or too embarrassed to say.  
  
Inu yasha smiled gently and tucked the same strand of hair behind her ear. "Kagome…" _'I love you…' _he cleared his throat, and felt his chest tighten up. No, he had to tell her, he might as well. "I love you…" it came out easier then he had expected, but still, the fear of rejected was heavily reflected in his eyes, he tensed up, unsure of how Kagome would react.  
  
Her eyes widened and her face broke into a large grin. Kagome felt like her insides would explode and they continued to flip and turn. It felt like her stomach had lost the bottom of it and was squirming deep within her. She felt her chest tighten and she felt like she would cry. A stray tear ran down her cheek and she watched as Inu yasha's eyes widened in guilt.  
  
Before he could make any assumptions, she dove at him and knocked him to the ground underneath her, "I love you too!" she hugged him tightly to her and cried in his chest, her relief overpowering her will to remain tearless.  
  
"You do?" his eyes were wide as he looked at her bowed head, which kept nodding.  
  
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" she whispered quietly and tightened her hold on him. "So much…so long…inu yasha…gods…inu yasha," he murmured to herself.  
  
"Oh Kagome…" he whispered and tightened his hold on her as well, enjoying the feel of Kagome cuddling up next to him. He tenderly kissed her forehead. With his confession now known to her, he felt a strange sense of peace rush over him. He loved her and she returned the feelings, he felt like the sun had finally risen on his shadowy, dark life. And he smiled…  
  
A couple of hours later found the couple still in the position they'd been in for hours. Kagome lying on his chest delicately and her tears had long since dried. Inu yasha's even breathing soothed her and her scent soothed him. They both basked in the knowledge of knowing the other's feelings and were perfectly content with remaining where they lay.  
  
"Kagome?" he asked softly, unsure whether the human girl was sleeping on his chest.  
  
"Hm?" Kagome's reply came as she lifted her head and looked at him, her lips resting against his chin as she peered at him.  
  
He gazed at her, once again wondering what he'd done to deserve such a beautiful and loving woman that was now laying on top of him. "The sun will be rising soon; shouldn't we go back so you can sleep?"  
  
"I'm fine here…unless you want to leave," her breath tickled his chin and her lips moved over the heated skin like a shadow on the wall. He felt his heartbeat start to pick up and wondered briefly if Kagome could feel his pounding heart.  
  
"I'm fine, too. But the others may worry," he snorted.   
  
Kagome smiled and kissed his chin, her lips lingering on the bottom side of his chin. "Let them worry…" she murmured and rested against him, her head falling to his shoulder, her lips resting on his neck now.  
  
He smirked at her answer and rolled so that she was lying next to his side. He turned so that he was turned towards her and tightened the fire rat haori around her shoulders. She held them gratefully and looked up at him with sparkling eyes. And then the temptation returned. The quiet temptation that told him to love her completely, to make her his mate. The only real problem was that he wasn't entirely sure of the mating part of the mating ceremony. True, he knew how to make her his mate, but he didn't know how to do the mating part, he was never taught that. The only reason he knew the ceremony was that brief time he lived with Sesshoumaru, who had explained it to him.  
  
Kagome noticed the hanyou tense use and she turned her gaze to him, her eyes staring at him with a curious expression. Inu yasha felt a part of him stir and he willed it to cease this ridiculous reaction to Kagome's beautiful body—He cut himself off before the started thinking about the schoolgirl in less than pure ways.   
  
"Inu yasha…is something wrong?" she whispered out, though she wasn't sure why she had the sudden urge to lower her voice.  
  
Inu yasha gazed at her. He gazed up at Kagome. He couldn't deny that he wanted her, but his fear remained and he was afraid that if he did take that step…would she allow him? And if she did, what if he displeased her?  
  
"Inu yasha?" her hand went out and cupped his cheek, trying to get some kind of response from the man below her.  
  
"Kagome…" he shifted his gaze to the sky, the stars twinkled high above him. "Do you really love me?"  
  
Kagome's brows knitted in frustration and she nodded, "Of course I love you! What kind of question is that?"  
  
"Will you…" he stopped and bit his lip, he was unsure as to how to approach this situation. Who couldn't come right out and say 'Kagome, you need to mate with me because I'm a demon.' He had to find some way to explain this to her.   
  
"Will I what, Inu yasha?" Kagome was worried over the hanyou next to her, what was he holding back from her?  
  
"Do you remember what Kouga said?" he hated to mention the pathetic wolf who'd run away with his tail between his legs. He'd wanted to kill him…he'd wanted to get rid of the competition for Kagome's affections. But now that Kagome had admitted to him she loved him, it wasn't so bad, but he couldn't help but feel bile rise in his throat at the mere mention of the wolf youkai's name.  
  
"Yes…somewhat…" Kagome said softly, she too didn't want to think of the wolf.  
  
"He used to call him his woman," it wasn't a question, it was a statement. "That is customary for a youkai to call his bitch when courting her. However, the fucking bastard disregarded the rules of youkai courtship…"  
  
"Rules…youkai courtship?" Kagome was confused and Inu yasha knew it.  
  
"A youkai society is much more complex then humans give us credit for," Inu yasha growled. "We establish a foundation of which our relationships can stand. This foundation is the first stage of demon mating. Courtship. We protect our bitch; we provide for our bitch, we do everything in our power to show the female the male can be a good mate. Once the bitch accepts the male, they mate and are bound together through all eternity, or until one of them dies," he paused to look at Kagome, making sure she had absorbed all this information. She nodded, still unsure as to what he was getting at.  
  
"Occasionally, a female will be desired by more than one male. Usually the male who first laid the claim of courtship has the right to continue courting the bitch," Inu yasha said quietly, as he approached what he was going to say. "But, if the second male wants the woman, he will lay a challenge to the other male and they'll fight for the right to continue the courtship. The female is not allowed to interfere with such a battle…" Kagome noticed the hidden malice in this remark, and realized that he was referring to the situation between him self and Kouga. She felt a certain amount of guilt fill her as she realized this.  
  
"Once one of the males wins the battle, he is allowed the right to continue the courtship of the female and the other male does not get another chance to lay a claim on the female and must go on to find another potential mate…" he took a deep breath. "A long time ago I laid the foundation for courtship and was planning to court you, Kagome." He hated admitting this. "But that stupid, mangy wolf interfered and tried to take you away from me, completely disregarding the youkai laws. When we tried to fight, you interfered, and caused the wolf to have hopes that you would love him."  
  
Kagome grumbled softly, not liking the fact he was pinning the blame on her, but did not interrupt.  
  
His golden eyes turned to her and captured her azure eyes for the umpteenth time that night. "What I'm trying to say is…you've accepted me…and I must make you my mate now," he mumbled out, his cheeks burning red.  
  
Kagome cocked her head to the side, her angry emotions blown out the window. "Ok." She smiled, "How?"  
  
Inu yasha sighed, she didn't understand the mating ritual, but he couldn't blame her. She wasn't youkai, after all.  
  
"A mating ritual," he grumbled. Kagome beamed.  
  
"Like a wedding ceremony?" she asked and clasped her hands.  
  
Inu yasha stared at her in surprise and blinked, staring at the starry eyed Kagome, a smile on her face and her face radiating happiness. "A what?"  
  
Kagome smiled and grabbed his hands and held them in her own. "Is a mating ceremony equivalent to a human wedding, Inu yasha?" she looked so hopeful, so happy, so…beautiful.   
  
"What's a wedding ceremony?" Kagome smiled and began to explain her human tradition. She explained the traditional Shinto wedding that wouldn't be created until long after this era, but she found great joy in explaining the significance of the wedding and what it meant for the male and female. After she explained a Shinto wedding she went into how the Westerners married each other. Inu yasha wasn't sure who the 'Westerners' were, but didn't bother asking.  
  
"So is it, is it like a human wedding?" she peered at him almost childlike and he couldn't help but smile at her and tilt his head.  
  
He thought about it. He thought about what Kagome's people did in a wedding and then what you did in a youkai ceremony. It was similar yet had its contrasts, but they both represented the same thing: To love your mate…or spouse (as Kagome pointed out)…unconditionally.  
  
"Yes," he nodded and Kagome's smile widened. She looked so innocent.  
  
Kagome hugged him tightly then. Though he hadn't said it in the most orthodox way, he had asked her to marry him, and that was good enough for her. How many nights had she laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling, imagining marrying Inu yasha, wondering what their children would look like, silly schoolgirl fantasies? Now, she knew they would come true…  
  
Inu yasha returned her hug and stared at the sky. She seemed so happy now, but she still didn't understand the mating ritual. He blushed softly, but he had to explain it to her.  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
"Yes?" her voice was so soft and content. He smiled and ran his fingers through her long black hair.  
  
"About the mating ceremony…" he pulled her away so he could look her in the eye. "Its crucial that I explain it to you."  
  
"Explain away," she said breezily, her eyes wide and sparkling happily.  
  
"It starts with the female on the ground," he pushed her gently and rolled her to her back, flat on the ground. She looked up at him expectantly. "Then I have to bless us and our union…like that minister person in the human wedding. Then I make seven promises, each representing the seven different charkas, each promise in correspondence to each charka. Afterwards," he thought for a long moment. It had been many years since the custom had been explained to him. "We must promise each other our loyalty. That's like the vows…" he thought again and felt his nervousness grow within him. "Then we have to seal our union," he bit his lip and blushed. Kagome noticed this.  
  
"How?"  
  
"I have to…" how was he to explain it?  
  
Kagome looked up at him expectantly.  
  
Inu yasha gulped and swallowed the lump that was growing in his throat. "I have to take your…innocence…" He bowed his head and his face ignited into a large blush. His ears twitched and drooped.  
  
Kagome stared at him with wide eyes. She felt her nervousness build within her as well, and she licked her lips. Inu yasha wasn't looking at her. Hesitantly she reached out her hand and tenderly touched one of his ears. It twitched under her touchy and she smoothed the ruffled fur there. He slowly lifted his head and met her gaze. She was blushing as well and it was at that moment they both knew they were nervous.  
  
"Then what?" Kagome said and smiled reassuringly at him.  
  
His ears perked and he cleared his throat. "Then I have to mark you as mine…" he said simply. "Then we are mates, bound together for all of eternity…um…that's ok…right?"  
  
Kagome smiled softly, her eyes tenderly stared at him, and she nodded. "Yes…of course its ok."  
  
Inu yasha took the haori that was still draped over her shoulders and pulled it off of her, simply fluttering it out below her, to serve as a blanket for her lie on. She felt a little cool without the warmth of the fire rat fur but said nothing, she simply awaited the mating ceremony, the ceremony that would take away her virginity and tie her to a hanyou for the rest of her days. She gazed up at the uncertain hanyou and smiled quietly. He was powerful, strong, smart and beautiful, she loved him…she'd do anything for him, and she wanted to be tied to him. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, the crisp night air fluttering into her nose accompanied by the scent of inu yasha. It had taken her a long time, but she had linked Inu yasha's unique scent as the smell of the forest after a rain, sweat after a battle, the crisp wind flashing through the leaves of a forest, a beautiful spring flowing from the mountains. It all combined into a scent that was simply Inu yasha. True, a majority of the things she listed didn't have a scent, but it was what she thought off when she smelled her hanyou, her tall and powerful hanyou…the hanyou she was about to make love with.  
  
"I'll do it now," he said quietly and peered at her. She looked at him, he seemed so uncertain, so lost.  
  
"Right now…right here?"  
  
"If you want me to wait…" he seemed scared. Kagome shook her head.  
  
"No, do it now, please," Kagome whispered out and stared up at her male.  
  
Inu yasha's large hands came out and held her at the shoulders. He bowed his head and Kagome watched as his long silver hair spilled from his relaxed shoulders and made a curtain around them. He breathed in slow steady breaths. She stared at him and held her breath. After a moment the hanyou cracked open a golden eye and smiled shyly, "You need to take deep breaths, Kagome. Breath in when I breathe out, ok?" She nodded and he closed his eyes again, breathing deeply.  
  
When his chest began to decrease in size Kagome took a deep breath in, her chest rising up as his chest was sucked in. They continued this for ten deep breaths until Inu yasha's hand came to her chest, just below the undersides of her breasts. "You can stop," he said tenderly. Then he took another breath and he looked at her. "I'm going to recite the blessing now, so don't be afraid." Kagome was confused.  
  
But then the hanyou began to growl deeply, his chest vibrating and his fangs bared as he closed his eyes. The growls ranged from high to low to quiet and to loud. Small yips accompanied the growls every so often along with whimpers and whines. Kagome stared at him in surprise, unsure of what he was doing.  
  
He ceased his dog like growls and looked at her. Noticing her perplexed expression he explained, "It's the language of the inu youkai. When reciting the blessing you must do it in your youkai tongue." He shrugged, "I don't know why. The language of the youkai comes as an instinct for youkai males. Females never learn it unless they make an effort to. It's only used for the ritual."  
  
"Do I have to say anything?" Kagome squeaked out and Inu yasha chuckled.  
  
"No, it is the male's duty. The female does nothing, it is the male's job to provide, after all," his golden eyes softened as he gazed at her. "I'll tell you if you need to do something. For this part you just have to lay still and close your eyes," he leaned back and sat on his haunches. Kagome missed the warmth of his body over hers.  
  
Inu yasha looked down at the still Kagome. She was so vulnerable right now. If he wanted to, he could kill her and she wouldn't be able to protect herself. She had willing accepted his proposal to mate with her. She had willingly accepted the fact she'll no longer be pure after this. She was allowing herself to be tainted by the hanyou. He gently shook his head to release himself of such thoughts. Kagome accepted him, that's all that mattered. He'd do everything in his power to love and protect her.  
  
He gazed at her tenderly and came to a decision. The rule to speak in the youkai tongue was ridiculous and not critical to the ceremony. For his Kagome's sake, he wanted her to hear what he was promising her. He cleared his throat. "Kagome," he whispered the girl tilted her head towards him. "I'm going to say it all in youkai tongue and then in human tongue, so you will understand, ok? I'm going to say our blessing, and then I'll say my promises in youkai and human." Kagome nodded and said nothing.  
  
Inu yasha gazed down at her again, relishing in her beauty. "I, Inu yasha, the son of the youkai lord honorably request the blessing between my self and Kagome Higurashi, human and daughter of the shrine keeper," he wasn't sure if that was true nor did he know Kagome's father's name, so he had gone with that, he hoped Kagome didn't mind. "May our union be blessed by the gods and the deceased youkai lords of the past. I humbly request the protection of the youkai gods in our ceremony and prevent any harm coming to my mate or myself." He took a breath as he recited the ancient blessing.  
  
He leaned down and kissed her forehead, his body's weight supported by his two arms held on either side of her. His hair made a cage around her again and he collected his thoughts. Now he had to prove that he would be a good mate.   
  
His sat up again, only slightly, and placed his palm on the crown of her head, near the crown charka. Kagome, surprised at the touch, opened her eyes and stared up at him with her clear blue eyes. He smiled reassuringly at her and growled something out, followed moments later by the human translation. "I promise to my mate that all those divine will be enlightened of our joining and thus bless us," as he pulled his hand away a small flash of white light surrounded Kagome's crown charka and produced a simple kanji: _sanctified._  
  
Moving his hand he placed his palm on her forehead, holding it there lightly so as not to alarm Kagome. Once again, the hanyou growled before speaking to Kagome. "I promise to my mate that I will show her my love for her whenever deemed necessary and to not hide the love that we share," he pulled his hand away and once again there was a flash of indigo light and the kanji for _vision_ appeared.  
  
Inu yasha's hand moved to her throat charka and he growled. Kagome looked at him with her eyes glowing happily, the two kanji still hovered slightly above her skin and were slightly faded, yet they still remained. Inu yasha looked up and noticed her trying to stare at the kanji on her forehead. He smiled, "They will remain until I have fulfilled all my promises, Kagome." She looked back at him and blushed slightly before smiling and nodding.  
  
Inu yasha closed his eyes and breathed out deeply, "I promise to my mate the ability to speak freely of our love, to never make her feel the need to hide our feelings from others. May our love be vocalized freely." Not surprisingly a bright blue flash came from her throat and the kanji _voice_ hovered where Inu yasha's hand had been moments before.  
  
This continued for four more charkas. At the heart charka Inu yasha promised to do all in his power to love Kagome unconditionally and for all eternity, accepting her for her faults and loving her for her for her. He promised to never use her love for anything except just that. After that, there was a bright flash of green and the kanji symbol for _unconditional love_ appeared hovering over her heart.   
  
At the solar plexus charka Inu yasha, after getting over the shock of having to place his palm in between Kagome's breasts, promised to never judge his mate, to support her in every way possible and to protect her from anyone or anything that prevented her happiness. There was yet another flash, this time yellow, and the kanji _acceptance_ hovered near the heart's kanji.  
  
At the sacral charka, the hanyou promised his human mate that no matter how time would change her, he'd still love her and support her. The bright flash of orange and the kanji _change_ went unnoticed by the couple as they stared into each other's eyes, his golden orbs reflecting the flashes her charkas produced.  
  
Finally, the seventh charka was reached, the root charka. Inu yasha, with a blush staining his cheeks, pressed his palm just above her pubic bone, pressed close to one of her more intimate spots. "To my mate I promise that I will relieve all sexual pleasures she may processes," he blushed brightly at that. "I will help her feel loved, contentment and satisfaction and never allow her to feel neglected or betrayed. I will remain loyal to my mate and never leave her under any circumstances." He pulled his hand away and a bright red light flashed before the kanji _loyalty_ hovered.  
  
The seven kanji quivered in their spots before floating away from Kagome's body and huddling together above her naval. With a bright flash of multiple colors, the seven kanji morphed into one large, black lettered kanji. _Mate._   
  
Inu yasha grabbed Kagome's shirt, and pulled it up, ignoring the yelp of surprise from Kagome. The black symbol fell to her stomach, shrinking as it went and landed in her belly button, barely noticeable, and anyone who wasn't looking for it wouldn't be able to find it. Kagome stared at it for a long moment before looking to the blushing hanyou for an explanation.   
  
"It's the traditional mark the youkai lords have bestowed upon us. They do this for every ceremony, I believe." He sat awkwardly for a long moment before looking at her. "It didn't hurt did it?"  
  
She smiled up at him and shook her head, "No. I'm fine."  
  
"Good," he said and his concerned expression melted into one of love and ease. "Are you ready to continue, then?"  
  
Kagome smiled and nodded. "What do I have to say?"  
  
"You say what you want. All you have to remember is to start it with 'I promise to my mate' and end it with 'please bless our union.' It's very simple. Just say what you want to say to me…I suppose, I'm not entirely sure…" He blushed again and looked slightly ashamed of the fact he didn't know his own tradition.  
  
Kagome reached out her hand and lightly touched his cheeks, drawing his attention back to him. "I promise my mate that I will always love him. I will do all in my power to protect him and support him, I will help him through any problems he may have. I will stay by his side forever more, I'll help him enjoy life, enjoying living, and I'll help him feel like nothing bad could ever happen to him. Please bless our union…"  
  
Inu yasha's hands traveled up and covered her hands with his own, his golden eyes staring at her lovingly. "I promise my mate that I will lover her unconditionally, I'll love her with my whole being and never leave her alone. I'll support her, even when she doesn't want it, I'll provide for her, I'll remain loyal to her, I'll protect her against anything that dares to hurt her. Please bless our union…"  
  
As they finished they basked in a silence, the only evidence that they were alive was the rapid beating of their hearts and the warm look in their eyes as they stared at each other. A sudden awkwardness overtook the male hanyou and he blushed crimson. Kagome saw her hanyou's reaction and soon joined him, a blush painted across her cheeks.  
  
Her hands delicately stroked his cheeks and the pads of her fingers traced the long strands of silver hair that hung over his shoulder. "I'm ready…when you are…" she whispered out quietly, scared.  
  
They both sat up, surrounded by the long grass, Kagome's belly tingling from the mark that now rested in her belly button and because of the butterflies that seemed to come to life at the thought of being 'married' to Inu yasha. The said hanyou was slightly nervous with the fact he'd have to mate with Kagome…how was he to know how to pleasure a woman? He'd only seen Kagome naked once or twice, and that's about how far his knowledge of the female body went…  
  
She moved her hands so that her fingers intertwined with his own, linked together softly. Her large, innocent blue eyes stared at him softly, though it was obvious she was nervous, it was also obvious how much she trusted the hanyou…her hanyou…  
  
He lowered his eyes and didn't dare face her. Kagome felt a small ping grow in her heart and she released one of his hands to grab his chin, forcing him to look at her. Though she was certain he could have easily broken from her grasp. "Inu…talk to me…please…"  
  
"Kagome…" his face was red and his voice was small and embarrassed. "I don't know how…"  
  
"Don't know how to do what?" Kagome asked gently, always understanding.  
  
He glanced at her before looking off towards the towering trees that were located near the edge of the field. He hated to admit he didn't know how to do something, especially to Kagome when he needed to do it. When he needed to pleasure her and seal their union. How was he supposed to do that if he didn't know how to mate with Kagome or how to make her like being mated. He wasn't completely sure how it worked, but he'd heard Miroku say once that it hurt the first time. He didn't want to hurt Kagome…  
  
"Inu yasha…" there was concern in her voice accompanied by the undertone of a warning, a warning that Kagome was becoming annoyed with his silence.   
  
Gulping down his pride he looked at the grass they sat in. "I don't know how to have sex," he said bluntly to the green blades. Kagome made a small squeak of surprise from his bluntness and her face turned redder.  
  
"Inu yasha," she said with a slight quiver in her voice, still kind of coping with his choice of words. "Its ok," he snapped his head up and looked at her. She smiled angelically at him and tilted her head to the side, observing him in a bird like manner. "We can learn together…I'll help you and you'll help me…ok?"  
  
"I…um…" he didn't finish his sentence, however, because Kagome grabbed his hands and placed them over her breasts, holding them there. Inu yasha's eyes snapped open, "Kagome!"  
  
Kagome pressed her breasts into his hands while pressing her hands against the back of Inu yasha's. "I'm hoping that you know the difference between a female body and a male body?" she asked with a smile.  
  
Inu yasha sputtered. "Of course I do, I have seen you naked, haven't I?" He growled softly and his ears twitched wildly as Kagome giggled.  
  
"Ok, good," she said. In her mind she was flashing back to her sexual education classes back in middle school and the last year of her elementary school. She never thought she'd have to teach these kind of things, especially to the rough hanyou who not only was a warrior, but refused to be dominated by anyone. Here she was teaching him how to have sex…did that make her a dominatrix? She blushed at that thought and looked back up at him. "Well, first, we have to undress each other." She released Inu yasha's hands and moved to his shoulders, brushing his hair aside.  
  
Inu yasha blinked as she removed her hands, though his hands still remained on top of her round breasts. This was slightly embarrassing. She was talking to him like he was a little whelp or something. He sighed and let it go, grabbing the small red ribbon of her high school uniform and taking it off, having watched Kagome remove her school uniform many times before.  
  
Kagome pushed aside the white of his under haori, revealing softly formed skin, the muscles rippled beneath her fingertips and she slid the white fabric down the hanyou's arms so that they lay in the crock of his bent elbows. The hanyou made quick work of her shirt and hesitantly slipped it over her head.  
  
Kagome lifted her arms and allowed the shirt to leave her body and she was met with the cool night air and the hot gaze of her hanyou lover.  
  
They made quick work of their clothing and soon Kagome sat with only her undergarments and Inu yasha in his hakama. They sat awkwardly for a moment before glancing at one another.   
  
Kagome smiled reassuringly and lightly touched his chest; he shivered from the soft touch. Her hands traveled down the firm muscles and tanned skin, tracing the fading glimpses of battle scars, the only one really evident on his stomach, where he'd been impaled numerous times. Her hand stopped at the scar on his stomach, tracing a small circle around his naval. Inu yasha looked at her hand quietly, saying nothing. Words didn't need to be said, each knew what the other was thinking…  
  
_'How long we've come since that time…'_ Kagome thought as her hand moved on, heading back up and stopping over his heart. She looked up at him and smiled gently, everything in the world dissolved away and all she could see was the strong and handsome hanyou who now sat before her. _'At that time...I would have never guessed something so beautiful would have happened between us. I…I would never had imagined all the hardships we went through, all the people we met, the places we saw…where we sit right now…never would I have dreamed that I would be teaching the arrogant hanyou how to have sex…' _She giggled quietly. She felt the hanyou's heart start to race and knew that he was anxious as well as nervous.  
  
_'Actually, earlier today I would never have thought of having to teach Inu yasha how to have sex…'_ She laughed again.  
  
"What's so damn funny?" she looked back at the hanyou, who seemed embarrassed. Kagome realized that he thought she was laughing at him.  
  
"Inu yasha…I'm laughing because…I'm happy," she sat up and kisses his nose. "I'm happy because I'm here with you…because I'm loved by you…"  
  
"Feh!" he blushed, "Don't get all sentimental on me, woman."  
  
"Inu yasha," the seriousness in her voice made him focus on her. "I'm not very good at explaining sex, me having no first hand experience. But…as I'm sure you probably know," it was her turn to blush, "lovers are supposed to pleasure each other…"  
  
"How?" her curious puppy asked.  
  
She blinked, "I…well…we find parts of the body that make us feel good…"  
  
The hanyou looked as lost as she sounded.  
  
"Maybe I should show you?" she pushed him back by his shoulders and he soon was lying amid the long blades of green grass, the breeze blew around them and she leaned down, capturing his lips delicately.   
  
Her hands traveled up the back of his head and touched the back of his puppy dog ears, which twitched into her fingers. She rubbed them soothingly, stroking the silver fur in a circular pattern. She rubbed circles around the base, lightly grazed the tips and just allowed a shadow of a touch in the pink underside. She felt his heart speed up from where her chest was pressed against his and his breathing coming out in pants against her exposed neck.  
  
"How do you feel, Inu yasha?" she breathed into his ear, causing it to spasm.  
  
"…good…" he panted out, "better…than good…I can't…explain…"  
  
"That's how we're supposed to feel when making love," she kissed his soft fur before pulling away, causing a small whimper to come from the man's throat below her.  
  
Quickly he spun over so she was on the ground, catching Kagome off guard. She gasped in surprise and looked up at the hanyou, who looked down at her with a hungry look flashing in his molten eyes, his dog ears twitching.  
  
"My turn," he smirked and kissed her passionately. Kagome moaned into his mouth and her hands found his dog ears again as he traveled from her lips. "Tell me if I do something wrong…" he whispered quietly, his breath passing over her parted lips.  
  
Kagome could only nod dumbly.  
  
His lips made their way down her body, touching skin to his lips and allowing his tongue to trace along the skin. He took her moans of gratitude a sign to continue and attacked the base of her neck gently, not daring to bite down in fear of hurting her. If at any time he bit his mate during the mating ceremony, he would be rejected by the god's blessing and would be unable to touch the female for the rest of eternity. He would_ never_ hurt Kagome under any circumstances, especially if the penalty was the failure to feel her soft skin, or her beautiful lips, or even a tender hug…  
  
**__**

**_((2,342 words have been edited because they contain NC-17 situations…gomen))_**

They lay in the afterglow comfortably holding each other, Inu yasha still not breaking the connection and content with staying within her.  
  
"Inu yasha…" she murmured against his chest.  
  
"Shh…you must regain your strength so I can mark you," he whispered quietly, stroking her silky black hair. Kagome nodded.  
  
After several minutes of simple cuddling, Inu yasha regretfully removed himself from Kagome. They both moaned at the loss, Kagome missing the completeness she'd accomplished with Inu yasha within her and Inu yasha missing the warmth that surrounded him so delicately.  
  
They both sat up and pulled on their clothes. Well, Inu yasha slipped on his hakama and Kagome stuck her arms through Inu yasha's long haori sleeves. "Now what?" she asked. Surprisingly, she felt comfortable now that their act of sex was over, a simple peacefulness having filled her. She felt content for the first time in her life.  
  
Inu yasha absently scratched his cheek and smiled at her. "I must give you my mark."  
  
"What's your mark?" she asked, curious. "is it like the _mate_ mark in my belly button?"  
  
"No, I'm not sure what it is. It varies from mates to mates. It takes its on original symbol. It won't hurt you," he reassured. He always reassured her that it wouldn't hurt. Though Kagome felt numbness between her legs, she knew that in the worst case scenario, Inu yasha would take care of her, always.   
  
"So, what do you do? Bite me or something? I heard that dogs do that to their mates," Kagome said innocently.  
  
Inu yasha shot her a glare and she giggled.  
  
"Three things." Inu yasha held up three fingers. "Number one: I do not bite you. If I were to so much as nick your skin and draw any blood, the youkai lords will reject me and prevent me from touching you ever again. I'd lose you. Secondly, dogs do not bite each other; they too would never hurt their partner. And lastly, I create the mark with my blood."  
  
"Let me get this straight, you can't hurt me but you can hurt yourself?" Kagome said dryly.  
  
Inu yasha shrugged, "I do it all the time, don't' I?"  
  
Kagome smiled and nodded. It was true, the hanyou always threw himself in front of any attack in order to protect her, leading to many unnecessary injuries on his part.  
  
"Well…mark away," she said and smiled happily.  
  
"Turn around," he said and smiled gently. Kagome turned and Inu yasha slipped his haori around her shoulders, exposing her bare back to him.  
  
With a small growl he muttered something in Inu youkai.  
  
Kagome tilted her head curiously, looking at him over her shoulder.  
  
He cleared his throat and spoke in human. "I, Inu yasha, hanyou son of the Lord Inutaisho hereby allow the human, Kagome Higurashi, to bare the mark of my family and thus signify her as my mate and life partner for the rest of eternity." He exposed his fangs and bit his palm. Kagome gasped in surprise as the hanyou seemed to write something on his hand.   
  
"I'll press it against your back and the Inu youkai spirits will write a blessing on your back, if they accept our union. If they don't, my hand will start to burn…you'll be unharmed of course." Kagome rolled her eyes that went without saying; he wouldn't be doing it if it meant she got hurt…  
  
After he was done ripping his skin with his teeth, he showed Kagome his palm. On it he wrote in sloppy, nearly unintelligible writing, _koishii__ wa Kagome_. He pressed his bloody palm against her back, just under her shoulder blades and on her spinal cord. She gasped as the hot blood pressed against her sweaty body. They both held still, holding their breaths for a long moment.  
  
Finally Kagome felt warmth spread throughout her and Inu yasha sighed in satisfaction. He pulled his hand away and revealed it was completely healed, not even a hint of blood was left. She felt his gaze on her backside and waited expectantly.   
  
"Trust…" he whispered.   
  
"Huh?"  
  
"That's what it says, trust…" he smiled and leaned down, licking the fading mark. Kagome sighed blissfully and closed her eyes.  
  
He sat back up and pulled the haori back down over her back, grabbing the access material and wrapping it around her. He left his arms resting around her, his body pressed against her back. He lightly kissed her neck.  
  
"I love you," Kagome said happily._ 'It's like we're married…'_  
  
"I love you, too," he whispered quietly and nibbled her ear. "Should we head back now? The sun will rise soon…" He looked towards the horizon and Kagome saw the distant glow of the sun peaking over the tree line.  
  
She quickly shook her head, "No. I want to stay here with you…if you don't mind…"  
  
"I never mind," he said and fell to the ground, spooning up against her. He lifted her head gently and moved his arm under it. She rested her head against his arm. "Sleep now, I'll wake you once I get hungry."  
  
Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes. "Ever the romantic, I see."  
  
"Feh…"  
  
Kagome smiled and closed her eyes, bathing herself in the warmth of Inu yasha. His soft breathing against her neck, the gentle beating of his heart against her back, the subtle touch of their legs, his arm wrapped around her, his thumb pressed against her belly button where the miniature mark was…  
  
She was completely at peace. She was in love, her hanyou returned the affections and she was mated to him.  
  
She couldn't ask for a better ending.  
  
::Owari::  
  
---  
  
(stares) Wow…I'm sorry I took so long. And yes, the mating ritual was something I had floating around for a while…  
  
Well, since it took so long, I decided I'd grace you with a longer chapter. Oo hope you all liked the 37 page long chapter…and the ending! please reiew!  
  
Glossary:  
  
Charkas: Not Japanese, but a spiritual belief that there are certain energy points in your body that control different things  
  
Gomen: Sorry  
  
Koishii wa Kagome: Lover is Kagome  
  
Owari: The end  
  
Kanji: Japanese writing, with the really complex characters. Kagome's name is written in hiragana, a simpler writing system. There's also something called katakana, which is used to write foreign words that weren't originally in the Chinese characters.  
  
Anyways, until next time, bye!!! 

Link to adultfanfiction.net, the unedited version, remove spaces: adultfan. nexcess. net/ aff/ story.php?no=23839&chapter=7


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